Until 1919, it was customary at the University of California Hospital to give a dose of castor oil the night before operation, and enemas in the morning. At that time, Dr. Terry discontinued the routine purgation, but left the order for enemas. The general impression about the hospital since then has been that the postoperative recoveries are on the average more satisfactory, and that there is less vomiting, abdominal distention and pain. Several of the operators are enthusiastic over the change, and no one has expressed any desire to return to the old routine. In 1918, Alvarez1 suggested that it would be wise also to abolish the routine purge usually given on the second or third day after operation. Some of the nurses had remarked upon the fact that not infrequently everything went well until that purge was given, and then everything went wrong. It seemed often to give